Six In The Morning Friday July 18

18 July 2014 Last updated at 07:27

Malaysia jet crash: Ukraine rebels 'to allow access to site'

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are to give international investigators access to the crash site of a Malaysia Airlines jet.

The rebels vowed to secure the site and allow the recovery of bodies, the Organization for the Security and Co-operation in Europe said.

The plane, carrying 298 people, crashed in rebel-held territory on Thursday.

The two sides in Ukraine's civil conflict have accused each other of shooting the jet down with a missile.

The Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. It fell between Krasni Luch in Luhansk region and Shakhtarsk in the neighbouring region of Donetsk.

Malaysia Airlines said flight MH17 was carrying at least 154 Dutch nationals, 27 Australians, 43 Malaysians (including 15 crew), 12 Indonesians and nine Britons.

Gaza toll rises as Israel launches invasion

At least 20 people killed overnight after ground invasion launched, with air raids continuing throughout the enclave. Last updated: 18 Jul 2014 07:47

At least 19 Palestinians have been killed overnight in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, hours after Israel launched a ground invasion on the 11th day of its offensive in the enclave.

Overnight bombing was reported throughout the strip on Friday, while the Israeli army announced that a soldier had been killed, and two others were wounded, in operations inside Gaza.

Israeli troops had moved several kilometres into the strip in operations the army said were targeting tunnels used by Hamas, the group which controls Gaza, but the incursions so far appeared limited.

Gaza City resident Ebaa Rezeq told Al Jazeera that while Israeli soldiers remained near the buffer zone, air raids and shelling were continuing to terrify civilians.

In one of the air raids, a building housing local media offices in Gaza City was struck by three bombs. Israel maintains that the offensive is to destabilise Hamas and "demilitarise" Gaza.

Dutch police lose €200,000 in ecstasy sting operation

Briefcase disappears despite being tracked and monitored by police

Peter Cluskey

Dutch police are investigating how a briefcase containing more than €200,000 in cash went missing as it was handed over to an international gang of ecstasy dealers – despite being fitting with a tracking device, being monitored from police headquarters and being watched by armed detectives.

It should have been a classic sting operation, based on a tip-off from the Drugs Enforcement Agency in the US, with two Portuguese detectives posing as buyers exchanging the cash for a huge consignment of 280,000 ecstasy pills, but when the dust settled, the money had disappeared.

The Netherlands is known as “the ecstasy capital of the world”. The DEA says some two million Dutch-manufactured pills are smuggled into America every week. Dutch police have been locked in battle with the dealers – dismantling 42 laboratories during 2013 alone, compared to 29 in 2012.

The Hague 'targets Africa'

18 JUL 2014 00:00 LIESL LOUW-VAUDRAN

Leaders push for 'local' solutions to prevent the judicial system from preying on the weak. "All the statistics show only Africa is targeted."

Just behind Senegal’s Palais de Justice that houses the Supreme Court, and close to the Dakar seafront, a run-down red-tiled roof indicates the city’s Rebeuss prison. It is here that the West African country’s most famous son, former “superminister” Karim Wade, has been held for over a year.

His trial for corruption during the reign of his father, former president Abdoulaye Wade, will start on July 31, according to a statement by the government. In an interview with the Mail & Guardian last week, Justice Minister Sidiki Kaba said it would be a fair trial and there would be justice.

Senegal has a solid, independent justice system that can try even the most sensitive, high-profile cases, he believes.

Mexico's 'Mama Rosa' inspires both anger and loyalty for her 'Gran Familia'

Residents of the shelter told officials that some employees beat and raped residents, fed them rotting food, or locked them in a tiny room. 

By Olga R. Rodriguez, Associated Press

ZAMORA, MEXICO — About 500 people marched through this western Mexico city Thursday in support of the embattled but highly regarded founder of a shelter, raided amid allegations of sexual and physical abuse and filthy living conditions.

Shelter founder Rosa del Carmen Verduzco, known as "Mama Rosa," had been taking in children for about 65 years and drew support from the government, philanthropists and intellectuals for her "Gran Familia" group home.

But after a police raid on the refuse-strewn group home Tuesday, residents of the shelter told authorities that some employees beat and raped residents, fed them rotting food or locked them in a tiny "punishment" room.

Across West, firefighters struggle against wildfires as temperatures soar

The Washington lieutenant governor and Oregon governor have declared states of emergency. Congress is beginning to mull legislation that could help deal with wildfires.

 

By Gram Slattery8 hours ago

As temperatures soar into the triple digits and high winds sweep across the region, thousands of firefighters are struggling to contain wildfires across Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada.

The largest fire, at Chiwaukum Creek in eastern Washington, has already scorched approximately 4,500 acres of mountainous, heavily forested terrain, forcing residents of 860 homes to evacuate. Authorities, who say the Chiwaukum blaze is zero percent contained, have closed a 35-mile stretch of US 2, a vital east-west link in the state. Lt. Gov. Brad Owen (D) has declared a state of emergency for the 20 counties affected.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Chiwaukum fire was clearly visible from downtown Seattle, 70 miles away, as a massive plume of smoke billowed 25,000 feet into the air.